Sandyford Men's Shed
Early in his eighth decade, Matt Maher has become a radio star. It’s a description which draws a hearty laugh from the affable Sandyford shedder.
“I never thought I’d join a men’s shed, let alone end up on the radio,” Matt insists.
The Sandyford Shedders Radio Show first hit the unsuspecting airwaves in 2014. Broadcast weekly on Dublin South 93.9 FM, it’s believed to be the only shed-based radio show in the world (though Matt is admirably cautious about the claim, having heard murmurings of a similar operation in a small village near Brisbane).
Along with fellow presenters Olly Broughan and Richie Kinsella, Matt hosts an hour of music, chat and shed talk from 2pm to 3pm every Thursday afternoon. Every element of the show – from the in-depth musical research and the lively and sensitive interviews, to the jaunty theme tune – is produced by the shedders themselves. Matt feels particularly fortunate to have shedder Martin Nolan on board as sound engineer.
“The show is completely ours,” says Matt, with justified pride.
Remarkably, given the assured and polished nature of the broadcasts, none of the presenting team had any prior radio experience before manning the microphones. The show has its genesis in a visit by Frank Phelan of Dublin South FM to the Sandyford Men’s Shed.
“Frank came down to the shed and asked would anyone be interested in hosting a radio show to promote the shed. Not one hand went up at first.”
Phelan’s persistence ultimately prevailed, however, despite initial concerns among the shedders.
“We had no confidence in our abilities at first, even speaking into a microphone was a big thing for us,” notes Matt.
From humble beginnings, the show has become a staple of the Dublin South FM schedule, which attracts 8,000 listeners per day. In 2016, the show was recognised with a CRAOL Award at the Community Radio Feile, hosted by Near FM. Guests are drawn from all walks of life, with a strong emphasis on community and mental health, which Matt feels is a vital component of what sheds offer.
The Sandyford shedders may rule the airwaves alone for now, but Matt hopes to see – and hear – other sheds throughout Ireland following their lead.
“In rural areas, people depend on local radio. I’d love to see every shed get involved with community radio. It’s a great medium and we have so much in common.”
Cork Men's Shed - safety in numbers
Sheds are naturally co-operative spaces and co-operation between sheds makes for a stronger network. Lately, Cork sheds have led the way by banding together for a workplace safety course under the aegis of the Cork Education and Training Board (CETB).
The course brought together a total of 14 shedders from five separate sheds, with Ballincolig, Blarney, Carrigaline, Mayfield and Passage West all involved.
Donal Hayes of Blarney Men’s Shed said: “This course was driven by the need to update the safety of the shed workshops to accommodate the growing numbers attending, and insurance companies’ requirements regarding workshop safety.
“Course tutor Karen Hogan did an excellent job engaging the participants and supporting the completion of course work, as many participants haven’t attended this type of course for a long time.”
Ciarán Lynch, programme coordinator for CETB, said: “Great credit is due to the five men’s sheds involved in putting together this very successful learning partnership with the Cork ETB. ”
Donal Hayes feels the course and its pooling of sheds’ resources has established a template which could be followed by other groupings of sheds throughout the country. Anyone interested in tips or pointers is invited to contact Donal at blarneymensshed@gmail.com CL
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